Needle-threader.



Patented Aug. l9, I902.

' 0. A. AICARDI.

NEEDLE THBEADEB. (Ag ueaeibn filed Apr. 14, 1902.

(No Model.)

llllllllllllii UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

. ONORATO AQAIOARDI, on SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

N EEDLE-TH READER.

srnolrrcerion forming part of Letters Patent No. 707,191, dated Augusti9, 1902.

Application filed April 14, 1902.

To all whom/it may concern: i

Be it known that l, ONORATO AGOSTINO AIGARDI, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California,have invented an Improvement in Devices for Threading Needles; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relatesto improvements in devices for inserting a thread through the eye of a needle. Its object is to provide a mechanical means whereby either an ordinary sewing-needle or a sewing-machine needle may be'threaded with a minimum amount of trouble and loss of time and with the least taxation on the patience and eyesight of the operator. f

It consists of a support or stand, a horizontal guide thereon, a threader reciprocable along said guide, a needle-holder in the path of said threader, and means by which the needle is always made to present its eye to I said threader and to be engaged thereby.

It also comprises certain means of adj ustment, means forsevering the thread, and comprises details which will be more fully ex plained hereinafter, having reference to the. accompanying drawings, in.which-- Figure 1 is'a part longitudinal section and part elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of the needle. Fig. 3 isan abnor mal section through the holder, showing the operation of threading a needle. Fig.4 is a plan. Fig. 5 is a plan of the device, illustrating its adaptability for threading a sewingmachine needle, the hand-needle holder being omitted. Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line as m, Fig. 5.

A represents a portable stand or base of suitable design, upon which is a horizontal bar 2', having a guide-groove 3, in which a carriage orthreaderis reciprocable.

5 isa needle-holder'disposed at the end of the bar 2, having aperforation 6 lying in a vertical planewith the bar and adapted to re ceive the needle ,6. This perforation is slightly inclined from the perpendicular for the purpose hereinafter stated. The holder has flanges 7 which are slotted, as at 8, and set-screws 9 fit these slots, whereby a lateral adjustment of the holder on the bar is possible. The under side of the holder has a on the end of the screw 12.

Serial No.102fl59. (N0 model.)

transverse notch 9 crossing the perforation '6, and the holder is adjusted so that this notch lies directly in the path of a barbed projection 10, secured to the threader-block' adjusting-screw 12is threaded. This screw does not operate, however, above the surface of the 'bar, for the perforation is contracted into a rectangular shape to form a small recess '13, whose bottom is the end of the screw. In operation a needle is dropped-point up- I permost into the holder. The eye end of the needle'rests in' the recess 13'on top of the screw 12.

'By reason of inclining the holder so that the'needle stands at an angle to, but in a vertical plane with, the threader-point 10 the needle will always fall into the holder in'such a way as to present its eye in line with the barbed-point 10. fact that the eye always gives two flattened sides to the needle, and the needle will naturally turn on to one of these sides, resting v The screw 12 is adjusted so that the needle is-raised or lowered and the bottom of the eye brought even with theplaneof'the bot'toin edge' of the point 10. The carrier-bar 4 is then" reciprocated,

sothat the threader 10 penetrates the eye and projects beyond to allow a thread to be laid across it. The carrier is then moved in the opposite direction by means of a handle '14, and the tiny barbs on the point 10 su'fifi-' eye, and the thread severedby drawing it over the sharp cutter edges 15 of the concavedv top of the holder. A spool-of thread may be kept always at hand by supporting it on a spindle 16 upon the base. Thus my device may be placed upon a table or anywhere'with- This is by reason of the in convenient reach of the operator and is always in readiness. It is possible to thread a needle even in the dark.

If desired, a holder for needles of different sizes may be placed at either end of the guidebar 2, in which case the carrier 4 would be provided with a threader-point at each end. However, a single holder will take needles varying several numbers in size. The car riage is retained within the groove by means of a stop-screw 21, projecting up through the bottom of the groove.

If desired, a form of device may be used by which the holder is adjustable, as in Figs. 5 and 6. In this case the under side of the holder 5 is cut away, as at 9, and two arms or lateral guides 17 are movable toward and from each other to contract or enlarge the space in which the eye part of the needle rests. The guide-bar carries a vertical adjusting-screw 12, by which the depth of the recess 13 is regulated. The lateral adjustment of the guides 17 is eifected by means of the right and left threaded screw 18 engaging the plates 19, to which the arms are secured. Springs 20 cause the arms to move in and out equally. The shape of the holder, its inclination, and the operation of the device are precisely as in the first instance.

In order to adapt the device to thread a needle in a sewing-machine, I have simply provided a holder of suitable form on the other end of the guide-bar 2, employing the same threader-carrier at, merely arming it with a second barbed threader-10. This second holder consists in forming a slot-opening 22 through one of the walls of the groove 3 and extending it a little beyond the middle of the bar 2.

In operation the bar is moved up or down on the standard A and set, by means of the lock-screw 23, at a point where the threader 10 will be directly opposite the eye of the machine-needle when the latter is at its highest point of travel. The device is then moved to bring the needle 6 into the guide-slot 22, and by means of a set-screw 24, whose end bears against the needle, the latter is exactly centered in reference to the reciprocating threader 10. The carrier 4 is prevented from being withdrawn from the groove by means of the pin 25. The walls of the guideslot 22 are rounded, so as to readily admit the needle, and the projection 11 furnishes a suitable support for the threader 10 when the latter is projected through the eye of the needle.

Having once adjusted the device to any size of needle or style of machine, it can remain set in that position and used indefinitely.

In order to hold the thread 26 stretched across the horn in the path of the threader and allow the operators hands to be free, I may provide a light wire loop or holder 27. It must engage the thread, however, but slightly, so as not to prevent its being readily drawn through the eye by the retracting threader.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is-- 1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a stand,a horizontal guidebar provided with a socket for the eye end of the needle,a carrier reci procable on said guidebar, a barbed threader-point on said carrier and means in connection with said bar by which a needle may be held at an angle to, but in a vertical plane with, the threaderpoint, to automatically present its eye to said threader.

2. In a threading device, the combination of a horizontal guide-bar provided with a socket for the eye end of the needle, a carrier reciprocable on said guide-bar, a barbed threader on said carrier, a needle-holder disposed in the path of said threader, said holder arranged at an angle to, but in a vertical plane with, the threader-point, for centering the needle.

3. The combination in a threading device, of a guide-bar, a carrier slidable thereon, a threader-point on said carrier, a guide means for holding a needle in the path of said threader and means for lateral adjustment of said needle-holder.

4- In a threading device, the combination of a guide-bar, a carrier slidable thereon, a barbed threader-point on said carrier, at needle-holder on said bar, and means by which the eye of the needle will automatically position itself in the holder and always present itself in the path of the threader.

5. The combination in a threading device, of a guide-bar, a carrier slidable thereon, a threader-point on said carrier,a needle-holder, said needle-holder having a perforation adapted to receive the needle and means by which the needle may be raised or lowered to bring the eye of the needle into the path of the threader.

6. The combination in a threading device of a guide-bar, a carrier slidable thereon, a threader-point on said carrier, a needle-holder disposed in the path of said carrier and having a transverse adjustment on said guidebar, means by which the vertical adjustment of the needle is effected, and means by which the needle is made to turn automatically to present its eye in the path of said threaderpoint.

7. The combination in a threading device, of a guide-bar provided with an adjustable socket to receive the eye end of the needle, a carrier slidable on said guide-bar, a threaderpoint on said carrier and a needle-holder adapted to hold a needle at an incline in relation to the line of movement of said threader but in the same vertical plane therewith.

8. The combination in a threading device, of a guide-bar, a threader reciprocable thereon, a needle-holder disposed in the path of said threader, said holder having an inclined perforation adapted to receive and hold the IIO needle whereby the needle is made always to threader and a spool-holding means on said w present its eye to the threader and cutting support.

means upon the holder for severiugthe thread. In witness whereof I'have hereunto set my 4 9. The combination in a threading device, hand.

of a support, a horizontal guide-bar vertically adjustable thereon, a reciprocable threader on said bar, a needle-holder, lateral and ver- ,Witnesses: tical adjusting mechanism whereby a needle S. H. NOURSE, is centered in said holder in relation to the JESSIE C. BRODIE.

ONORATO A. AIOARDI. 

